There Are Pandas, and Then There Are Pandas.
And this isn't either of them! The Pandas we're talking about here, are watches, not bears. And what got me thinking about them (again) was a link posted this morning by @cm.rook who pointed a few of us to the very attractive (and not terribly priced) Yema "Rallygraph" Panda which, in it's most traditional arrangement, looks like the one on the left, but can also be had in the version on the right: The model on the left is a true Panda, while the model on the right is called a reverse Panda. The reason for that distinction is clear--Panda bears, only come in the first arrangement. Now at this point, everyone should be thinking about the most well-know Panda, The Rolex Panda, which is actually a Daytona, and among Rolex Daytonas, the most famous of which is the Paul Newman Daytona, which was famous first, because it was Paul's, and second because it sold at auction for $17.8 million (US Dollars). The story of that auction is well-known so I'll only...
Nov 8, 2019
- Probably good summer straps when you're sweating and want something less sporty/military than a NATO.
- Nice material, nice texture
- Quality control problems with the latitudinal "weft" (not really an accurate term since the fabric is woven on the bias) not being perpendicualar to the sides of the strap, and it's uncorrectable because of the sewn and melted parts.
- One of those kinds of thin, slippery straps that makes you afraid you're going to drop your watch on the concrete when you put it on or take it off. Best to do at a desk with a towel underneath.
- Very small, just enough for my 7-inch wrist, but not a milimeter more.
- Very fiddly to put on because the buckle is the kind with the tang in the middle of a buckle frame, a double-D buckle, not a D-buckle. The material is floppy and hard to thread through the buckle, despite some stiffenner on the end. And the keeper is difficult to use also, especially if it's near the buckle, where a second layer of the fabric floats free. This is basically a put-it-on-at-home-in-the-morning strap that you don't dare touch until you take it off. Maybe you'd like to loosen it up during the day? Probably best to make do.
- The overall feel is lightweight and might not be great on a big watch, although it worked for me on a thick diver. The buckles are very delicate looking, thin stamped metal, with the frame about 2.5 mm wide.
- Personally, for my lifestyle, I would more often use a NATO. In the same order I got a NATO from Crown & Buckle that I would judge to be average. I got their "premium" quality, which has the color I wanted, not their more expensive "supreme" quality.
http://phenomenato.com/
They seem like they may be the ritziest of the bunch.
They only come in gray, black, Bond, and dark blue, plus a heavier Bond, all with polished or brushed steel hardware. They also come in two lengths.
The company is out of Budapest, Hungary, and I believe that it's one of those passionate hobbyist projects by a watch nut.
The Toxic NATO website turns me off, it's so chaotic, and the general impression is that it's operated by a member of a biker gang in his spare time. The marketing copy is not the best: "WOW holy crap! We have out done ourselves again!!! This is the "king of the crop" nylon strap that rivals the big boys in quality."
I like toxic. I was once in the same opinion, but I got over it. The products justify the over the top marketing. And I think he is a fellow Veteran. So I tend to gravitate towards them if the product is what I use.
Again I reiterate that I like the overall quality of toxics and I keep returning there, but if there's a different one to try, which I did fine one in Canada that I am getting to see how their slim seatbelts look and feel like.